Draft gear



H. c. PRIEBE DRAFT lGEAR June l0, 1930.

2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed Jan. 21, 1929 m NFJI.

MN x W @dwf Zw/72m 712556 H. C. PRIEBE June l0, 1930.

DRAFT GEAR Filed Jan. 21l 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet '2 Patented June 10, 1930 PATENT OFFICE HERMAN C. IPRIEBE, OF BLUE ISLAND, ILLINOIS DRAFT GEAR .Application mea January 21, 1929. serial No. 333,834.

My invention relates to draft gears for -couplingcars into trains.v One feature of the -invention relates to those draft gears in which springs are located upon the outer sidesof theV center or draft sills and are 'coupled with draft gear elements between such sills to cooperatetherewith in resisting ydraft strains.' Hitherto it has been the practice to provide longitudinal extensions upon the followers that are between the sills and to pass keys through these extensions to lestablish assembly between these followers and the springs upon the exteriors of the sills, it being impracticable to pass such y keys through the motion resisting portions Vof the gears that are rbetween the sills, particularly where such 'emotion resisting portions are in the form ofA springs having enclosing barrels that constitute follower k portions.

Where the followers are enlarged into springv barrels I provide vlateral enlargements on the barrels andpass the keys snugly through slots that are formed in these lateral barrel enlargements. As it is necessary for the outermost springs to be locatedv uponthev sides of the center or draft vsills rather than above and below the same the lateral enlargements upon the barrels 3o are provided at the tops and bottoms of such barrels. In the preferred embodiment of my present invention the inner follower of a draftv gear, alone, has been thus constructed to surround a central draft portion disposed along the line of draft and to receive the keys above and below this spring.

These keys are extended to the outer sides of the center or draft sills and are assembled with supplemental followers-upon the outer sides of the sills that are pressed upon by and press upon the contiguous ends of the` outer springs. The other follower receives but a single Vkey which is passed therethrough atv the axis of the gear andvwhich is assembled with other supplemental followers upon the exteriors of the sills thatengage the other ends of the exterior springs. Viewed sidewise of the gear the keys are in triangular arrangement, the two e0 .keys'l'rst referred to being at the base of the triangle and equidistant from the axis of the gear that passes therebetween. The third key, which is at the apex of the triangle passes through the axis of the gear. The first two keys prevent the outermost springs from buckling vertically. The third key prevents the outermost springs from buckling laterally. The three keys together thus prevent buckling of the outermost springs in any direction. While these advantages are gained in a gear that is inclusive of two keys between which the central and inner portion of the gear passes other construction may be employed to secure these advantages without departing from the invention.

In accordance with another characteristic of the invention I provide stop lugs upon lthe exteriors 'of the sills which lugs have wing extensions that embrace the key which passes through the axis of the gear and margin the slots in the sills through which this key passes to restrengthen the sills in compensation for the weakness due to the removal of metal therefrom to form the key receiving vslots therethrough. In order that the springs upon the outer sides of the sills may be approached as closely to the sills as possible the aforesaid abutment wings are spread apart at their terminations yto receive the outer ends of the springs and their seats therebetween.

I will explain my invention more fully in connection vwith the accompanying drawlings in which Fig. l is a plan view partially in section illustrating a draft gear constructed in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the gear shown in Fig. l with parts broken away; and Figs. 3, 4, y5 and 6 are views taken respectively on lines 3 3, 4 4, 5 5 and 6 6 of Fig. l.

The center sills l and 2 of the car desirably also 'constitute the draft sills of the gear. The coupler yoke 3 is disposed betweenthe sills. This coupler yoke is of U form with its sides in the same horizontal plane and respectively closely approached to the center sills. The base of the coupler yoke is innermost. The outerend portions 40 draft strains.

of the coupler are formed with elongated slots 4. The key 5 snugly passes through a slot formed through the inner end of the coupler stem 6. The slots l are longer than the width of the key to permit inward movement of the key with respect to the coupler during compression, the key. engaging and pulling fupon'thefcoupler A*yoke when the coupler stem is pulled upon. The center sills are provided with slots 7 which are of sufficient length to permit'the full range of movement of the key 5. er 8 and the inner follower 9 are the" main followers and are provided between the cen-Y ter or draft sills. The outerfollower 8 is 'formed with apin projectionlO whicliis .I received within the inner end .of the coupler stem 6.

. o AThe motion resisting mechanism illustratzo ed is inclusive of friction producing. clements andspring means operating yupon .same. The friction producing meansillustrated isfinclusiv'e of friction blocksll, 11 .and 112, other frictionblocks 12, l2 alternnatingwith the first. Thefriction'blocks y11, llzhave abutting engagement withthe follower 8, these friction blocks also having n wedgingengagement with ythis follower. -The'-` friction blocks 12 and ;12 are of T Aform, the projecting-ends of the T-heads be- .vytheseg--springs vbeing surrounded by the c Agu'followerwextension 13 which is in the form ofgaspring barrel. These spr-ings-.andfsaid friction lblocks -cooperate to yieldingly op- --pose relative vmovement rof the followers f longitudinally-of the gear in response to 'J Supplemental,springs'l:andV 18 are provided upon the exteriors -of f the sills, these springs-pressing upon Aand 4being pressed -upomby the,l spring` seats 19 land 20,'which .45*1constitute n; supplemental I followers. The

Y supplemental followers arebrought into as- Isembly with thel main -followersby` means -v of'nthe fkeys 22,523,1and-24. L-The ikey'; 22

passes snugly through ,the ,follower 8: lat- 50 fe'rallya of. the gear, this key being,V cut xby .n the axis ofi. the gear.; .,Thegkeysi23and- 24 @snugly-passi throughfglateral1 enlargementsA :provided at .e the top l and t;bottom "offthe j springsbarrel 13. ,l These ilatter. keys l are: .thus

T5?ahreastgoftheamotion.resisting means llijof the Ygear.; "lhe'assemblyl offthese Lkeys 23 and 24 with-the'associatedsupplementalffollowers is established by- -meansf-ofatheryokes 515125 whichlare-'preferably ini the form.v offfvero-ticalf-frodsthat are; passed downwardly through-the fkeys. -Y -These vertical"A rods:4 are lfformedfwit-h holes-therethrough atl thelmdvfp'ortionsthereof throughwhich the Ysides of the U'bolts26,v are received.. These Up-bolts wembraceflvthe horizontal .webs 27..;upon,-the

The outer follow- Y corresponding followers whereby the U bolts and yokes are held from vertical displacement.

The keys viewed from ythe side of the gear define a triangle whose corners are determined by the three keys. Said keys, by reason of Y their ylength and relation, define a triangular prism andfconsequently cooperateto prevent buckling of the springs 16. The key 22 is limited in its motion by lmeans -ofstoplugs '-128' that are provided upon the exteriors of the sills, these lugs having wing extensions 29 that embrace the key 2l substantially throughout the width vof this key and margin the slots 30 in the .fsillsv through which-the key`29-passes to compensate for the 'weakness in vnrthese slots. -`Themembers 28 and 29 aredesirably intelgrally formed Withcastings l31 which have slots; therethrough v in f register with the slots.

30.1fl`hese slots in said castings are Valso margined by the wijngs29 to strengthenthe castings in compensation for the loss of the materialv in the slots'throughfthe castings.

Structural v characteristics claimed, particularly the structural element providing the seatsv19 and 2O formthe subject matter of my ycopending application No. 333,833 filed of evenw'datefherewith.

Changes may bel made vwithout rv,departying fromA the invention.

Having-thus described"y myinvention, I Yclaim:

1. Al draft gear;` including innerfandouter followers; main motion resisting means interposed between andl cooperating with' said followers draft sillsbetween whichjf the aforesaidy element-s are disposedysupplemental motion resisting means upon-the eX- ;terior of the space between said vsillsfandf.

extending along the sills laterally fthereof; a single membersubstant-ially at--the level ofthe axis of'thegearwhichqeifectsas- 'sembl 2me1nbers;-that are connected-with the;` followers;v are infthef. form fof @keys-passing throughl thjellfolflowers.

4. .The .saueturerofaeiaim naher-emga@ Y- members-kthatf are? eonneGted-witha the.2 -followers' are in the" formk of. keys -and thelmain `n'io'tion resisting? means i-s included between the two ykeysthat' -areconnec'ted with one v follower.

1 not f herein.,

between one ofI saidfollowers and thea oresaid Asupplemental" motion 4resisting iso members that are connected with the followers are in the form of keys and the main motion resisting means is in the form of a spring that is between the keys that are connected with one follower.

6. A draft gear including a follower carrying a member for limiting its motion; draft sills between which this follower is disposed and slotted to permit the passage of said member therethrough; supplemental motion resisting means upon the exterior of the space between the draft sills and inclusive of a spring; and a stop lug carried by a draft sill and formed with wings which embrace the stop member upon the follower havingv this member and which wings margin the draft sill slot, these wings being flared to receive the spring of the supplemental motion resisting means and permit this spring to lie lclose to the draft lug and the sill carrying it.

7 The structure of claim 6 in which the member upon the follower is in the form of a key which is snugly passed through the follower.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name.

HERMAN C. PRIEBE. 

